Viewpoint change on a display device based on movement of the device

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the disclosed technology comprise a handheld display device with built-in accelerometer and, in some embodiments, compass. The display of a human figure is changed based on a change in viewpoint/orientation of the device. That is, upon detecting a change in viewpoint (e.g., viewing angle, tilt, roll, or pitch of the device), the image of the person changes. This may be used with a still picture of a person, such as for the sale of clothing, or in conjunction with moving images, such as for a sports or exercise instructional video.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNOLOGY

The disclosed technology relates generally to viewing on a displaydevice and, more specifically, to changing a viewing angle based onphysical orientation of the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNOLOGY

Shopping online is typically a glorified version of catalog shopping. Ona catalog page, a picture of the item, or perhaps several pictures, areshown, and, in the case of clothing, typically on a model. One can seethe sizes and prices available as well. In an online catalog, generallythe same information is available, but in some cases, a person canchoose a certain picture and zoom in. In some instances, videos areavailable. Someone wishing to learn a karate sequence, might watch avideo of it, see diagrams, and so forth. Still, the content shown iscontrolled, by and large, by the provider. The interactivity is limitedto the familiar rewind, stop, play, and fast-forward features. Whilesuch features are useful, still pictures and even videos are a poorsubstitute for actually being there.

While using a mouse to click and drag around an object to transpose theposition of the object or even rotate it, such an interaction haslimited translation to the real world and allows a finite direction ofchange to what is viewed, based on how the mouse is currently mapped inan application. Generally, such movements either transpose the positionof an object or camera position on the XY axis, zooms in, or allows auser choose a different picture where one can repeat the changes.

What is needed is a way to make the user experience more real in such away as to make a user feel more immersed and in control of what s/he iswatching and to have the ability to control greater axes of movement ina natural manner.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNOLOGY

It is an object of the disclosed technology to provide a simple andnatural interface and control for viewing a human figure.

It is a further object of the disclosed technology to provide a handhelddisplay device whereby a display becomes interactive when the device ismoved.

It is a further object of the disclosed technology to take into accountorientation and/or acceleration of a device to determine what isdisplayed on a device.

An embodiment of the disclosed technology is a display device with anorientation sensor. The orientation sensor, which for example could bean accelerometer or a compass, measures orientation of the displaydevice relative to a fixed external directional vector and, in someembodiments, the rate of displacement of the device from the samedirectional vector. An accelerometer measures orientation or movementchanges relative to gravity while a compass measures change inorientation or movement relative to a pole (e.g., relative to the northpole). Thus, depending on orientation of the device and direction ofmovement, the accelerometer, compass, or combination thereof determinesa direction of movement of a display screen. The display device of thisembodiment further has a storage device with data representative of ahuman figure, and a display exhibiting the human figure. The display ofthe human figure changes based on a direction of movement detected bythe orientation sensor, and in some cases, also based on a direction ofmovement detected by a secondary orientation sensor.

The changing of the exhibited display may be a change in viewpoint ofthe human figure around a predefined center of gravity of the humanfigure, or a center of gravity of a plurality of human figures. Thecenter of gravity may be an actual center of gravity, an estimatedcenter of gravity, and/or a chosen point which is at the center, or aapproximately a center, as defined in each case in a specific embodimentof the disclosed technology.

The display device may exhibit a display of a moving human figure, thehuman figure moving irrespective of, and in addition to, a change inviewpoint of the exhibited human figure. That is, a user of the displaydevice may change the orientation of the device relative to his or herposition, and the viewpoint of the human figure shown therein maycontinue to change with changes in device orientation around a vectororthogonal or partionally orthogonal to the sensor's directional vector.The change in viewpoint may be non-linearly or linearly mapped to anamount of movement of the display device.

In a specific embodiment of the display device, upon a first rotation ofthe device at a first relative position, a first display of the humanfigure is exhibited. Upon a second rotation to a second relativeposition, a second display of the human figure is exhibited, such asframes in a continuous video. Upon a third rotation back to the firstrelative position, a third display of the human figure is exhibited.Thus, for example, a person with frontal face showing may be frowning inthe first display at a first relative position of the device. When auser changes the position of the device relative to his or her position,the display of the human figure on the device is changed, such as, forexample, to a view of the side of the same person's head. When returningto the first relative position showing the frontal view of the person'sface again, the same person is smiling. This viewpoint change may betoggled during repeated successions of viewing and changing the viewaway from and back to the first relative position.

The human figure shown on the display device may be wearing clothes aspart of an offer for sale of the clothes. As another usage, the displaymay be used to teach a user positioning during an exercise with definedpositions, such as yoga, martial arts, sports, and pornographypositions.

A further embodiment of the disclosed technology is a method ofdisplaying a series of images on a handheld device. The method proceedsby storing a plurality of images representative of a human figure,measuring the orientation of the handheld device with an orientationsensor, exhibiting on the display a first image of the human figure, andchanging the image exhibited based on a direction and rate of movementof the handheld device, as determined from the orientation sensor. Thedirection and rate of movement are determined by measuring changes inorientation over time compared to a fixed directional vector, such asacceleration due to gravity or magnetic north.

Further elements of the device of the disclosed technology areapplicable to embodiments of the method of the disclosed technology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an example of a display shown on a display device whichchanges based on an orientation change of the device.

FIG. 2 demonstrates the use of an accelerometer to determine anorientation change in an embodiment of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 3 demonstrates the use of a compass to determine an orientationchange in an embodiment of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 4 demonstrates the use of an accelerometer and a compass todetermine an orientation change in an embodiment of the disclosedtechnology.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the changing position of a human figure inembodiments of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a display device tilted upwards and downwardswith respect to the viewer in an embodiment of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 7 shows an example of changing orientation of a display with twohuman figures in an embodiment of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a changing orientation of a display device,as well the changing position of the human figures exhibited on thedisplay device in embodiments of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 9 shows steps taking in a method of carrying out embodiments of thedisclosed technology.

FIG. 10 shows a high level block diagram of a specialized image inputand display device on which embodiments of the disclosed technology maybe carried out.

FIG. 11 shows a high-level block diagram of a computer that may be usedto carry out the disclosed technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNOLOGY

Embodiments of the disclosed technology comprise a handheld displaydevice with a built-in orientation sensor such as an accelerometer or acompass. The display of a human figure on the display screen changesbased on a change in the device's hardware with respect to an externalorientation vector and the user's viewing angle. That is, upon detectinga change in the viewpoint (e.g., viewing angle, tilt, roll, or pitch ofthe device relative to the stationary user), the image of the personchanges. This may be used with images of a non-moving person, such asfor the sale of clothing, or in conjunction with images of a personmoving, such as for a sports or exercise instructional video.

For purposes of this disclosure, an accelerometer is defined as a devicewhich measures acceleration of a device relative to freefall. A singleor multi-axis accelerometer may be used to carry out embodiments of thedisclosed technology to sense orientation. An accelerometer measures theacceleration relative to a frame of reference. An accelerometer at restrelative to the earth's surface will indicate approximately 1 g upwards,because any point on the earth's surface is accelerating upwardsrelative to a local inertial frame. To obtain the acceleration due tomotion with respect to the earth, the offset from gravity is subtracted,or the change in acceleration is measured to determine when an object isrotating about an axis. The combined measurements in relation tomultiple axes are used to determine rotation which is unaligned with theearth.

A compass, for purposes of this disclosure, is a device which determinesthe orientation of the display device of embodiments of the disclosedtechnology with respect to the plane of the earth's surface. It maydetect true north, magnetic north, or any other direction. It mayinstead determine only a change in direction without knowing an actualdirection, in embodiments of the disclosed technology. When determininga magnetic field, this may be by measuring the magnetic field directlyor measuring another value and approximating the magneticfield/direction. A solid state compass, global positioning system, orother such device may be used for this purpose.

The display device used in embodiments of the disclosed technology is adisplay capable of changing an exhibited image and is a screen in twodimensions (e.g., a flat screen, CRT screen, LCD screen, plasma screen,etc).

Embodiments of the disclosed technology will become clearer in view ofthe description of the following figures.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a display device with images shown on thedisplay that change based on an orientation change of the devicerelative to a stationary external environment. FIG. 1A shows the displaydevice at a first orientation. FIG. 1B shows the display device at asecond orientation, rotated to the left compared to the firstorientation. FIG. 1C shows the display device at a third orientation,rotated further to the left compared to the first and secondorientations. In this example, as the display device is turned to theleft, a clockwise rotation around a vertical axis, the image shown onthe display changes and the person in the image appears to rotate to theleft. FIG. 1A shows the initial image of the person 110 on the displaydevice 100, such as when selecting a person to view. Such a selectionmight be made upon decision to view a clothing item for possiblepurchase, or the like, as will be discussed below. The initial positionof the display device is within an environment having an orientationrelative to the external environment 120 where the x and y axes areparallel to the plane of the page on which the figure is printed, withthe z axis pointing out towards the viewer. The orientation directionalvector 130 is shown pointing into the plane of the paper and away fromthe viewer, and could represent, for example, either acceleration due togravity or a magnetic field direction such as magnetic north. As thedisplay device 100 is rotated to the left, the orientation of the devicechanges with respect to the viewer and the external environment. Theimage of the person presented on the display rotates to the left, alongwith the direction of rotation of the display device, in a second andthird position of the person 112 and 114 and second and thirdorientation of the device relative to the external environment 120. Inthis example, the object on the display reacts just as a real objectsuch as a doll would appear if held in the viewer's hands and rotatedsimilarly, providing images that simulate the real-world rotation.

In embodiments of the disclosed technology, this is a linear ornon-linear relationship. In a linear relationship, the rotation may bemade to feel natural, that is, a person is looking around the object bytilting the screen. As the screen is tilted, so too is the image in anadjacent manner, whether it is rotated the same degree amount or amultiple of that amount. That is, by way of example, when the screen isrotated 30, 45, and 60 degrees, the person shown in the image is rotated30, 45, and 60 degrees in a one-to-one linear correspondence, or 60, 90,and 120 degrees in a two-to-one linear correspondence, or −30, −45, and−60 in a negative one correspondence. In a non-linear example, whenrotating the device/screen 30, 45, and 60 degrees, the person shown maybe rotated 30, 90, and 180 degrees, respectively.

FIGS. 2 and 3 demonstrate the relationship of the display device toorientation directional vectors in embodiments of the disclosedtechnology. FIG. 2 demonstrates the use of an accelerometer to determinean orientation change in an embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG.3 demonstrates the use of a compass to determine an orientation changein an embodiment of the disclosed technology.

Referring first to FIG. 2A, the display device 200 (where possible,elements shown in FIG. 1 have been incremented by 100 in FIG. 2)displays an image of a person 210 on its display screen in theembodiment shown. Although the display screen of the device couldactually have any dimension, FIG. 2A shows the familiar “portrait”configuration for illustrative purposes. The person image 210, in thisexample, is aligned and in a fixed position with respect to the top andbottom of the device. FIGS. 2B and 2C show the display device in anorientation relative to a three-dimensional plane 220, aligned parallelto the ground along one potential orthogonal axis 240 relative to theaccelerometer's gravitational orientation directional vector, G, 230, inan example of a change in orientation of the display shown in FIG. 2A.The circular arrow 250 in FIGS. 2B and 2C shows the directions of userrotation around the center of the display device that is detected withan accelerometer in embodiments of the disclosed technology and used asa signal for choosing and changing images displayed on the device. Therotation along the vertical axis of the display device aligned with theexternal orthogonal axis shown in FIG. 2B represents changing the viewaround the right and left sides of the person, similar to the processshown and described with reference to FIG. 1.

FIG. 2C shows a rotation around the top and bottom of the displayedperson (of FIG. 2A) along the horizontal axis of the display devicealigned with the external axis that is orthogonal to the orientationdirectional vector. FIGS. 2D and 2E show the device with the same imagealignment of FIG. 2A at a second orthogonal angular variation 260 androtation directions 270. Again, FIG. 2D shows the rotation along thevertical axis of the device, while FIG. 2E shows the rotation along thehorizontal axis of the device. Note that the axes of the display device200 could actually be aligned along any axis orthogonal or partiallyorthogonal to the orientation directional vector, G, 230, and that theaxis at angle 240 shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, and the axis at angle 260shown in FIGS. 2D and 2E are chosen simply for illustrative purposes.Also, the device may be rotated, in embodiments of the disclosedtechnology, around any axis orthogonal to the orientation directionalvector G passing through the plane of the device, not just vertical(FIGS. 2B, 2D) or horizontal (FIGS. 2C, 2E), as long as theaccelerometer can determine the angle of rotation. So long as image datais provided for such changes in orientation, a view in any directionaround the person (or other object shown in the video display) is shownfrom any viewing direction by changing the device's orientation withrespect to the orientation directional vector, G, 230 in the embodimentshown.

The rotations depicted by arrows 250 and 270 described above withreference to FIG. 2 are generally measurable with an accelerometer. Themeasured directional change of a point on the display device withrespect to the gravity of the earth (e.g., acceleration of the displaydevice relative to freefall) is determined, and, based on thisdetermination, the image shown (e.g., person image 210) on the displaydevice is changed accordingly. In such orientation changes as shown inFIG. 2, an accelerometer may be used without the aid of a compass ordetermination of an orientation relative to the surface of the earth.

FIG. 3 demonstrates the use of a compass to determine an orientationchange in an embodiment of the disclosed technology. The elements ofFIG. 3 are generally incremented by 100 compared to those of FIG. 2.FIG. 3 shows the orientation directional vector 330 obtained from acompass being used to generate the device orientation information thatdrives the image changing mechanism of the embodiment shown. Unlike anaccelerometer, the compass is aligned only along the magnetic fieldlines of the earth with no relationship to mass and freefall, so onlyrotations 350 around the vertical axis are used for orientationdetermination with a compass. FIG. 3A shows a video display of an imageof a person 310 on the screen of the display device 300 in theembodiment shown. The person image is aligned and in a fixed positionwith respect to the top and bottom of the device for simplifying theunderstanding of embodiments of the disclosed technology. Although thedisplay screen of the device could actually have any dimension, FIG. 3Ashows the familiar “portrait” configuration for illustrative purposes.FIG. 3B shows the image of FIG. 3A displayed on a display device alignedparallel to the x-z plane of the three-dimensional external environmentshown by the axes 320. When the display device turns with respect to apole or cardinal direction, a compass or other magnetic field ordirectional indicator mechanism detects or measures this change (interms of a relative change with respect to the original direction ormore absolute change with respect to the earth's magnetic fields).Rotations of the display device around the vertical axis or comprising avertical component to rotation about axis 340 orthogonal to theorientation directional vector generate angle displacements that can beused to change the images of the person (or other object displayed).Similar to the images shown in FIG. 1, rotations 350 of the device 300in either direction gives the impression of looking around the person'sfigure. Unlike with an accelerometer, there is no measurable change forrotations around the horizontal (parallel to the x-axis) or othernon-vertical axes passing through the screen of the device.

Using a combination of the methods and devices described with regard toFIGS. 2 and 3 and in the disclosure above, a change in orientation ofthe display device is detected, in embodiments of the disclosedtechnology, in any direction. These directional changes, which may bedetected in embodiments of the disclosed technology, include rotationsabout any one of a combination of the X, Y, and Z axes (which may bedefined, in this instance, as in any direction in which a change toorientation with respect to any of the X, Y, and Z axes is detectable)regardless of the starting orientation of the display device.

FIG. 4 demonstrates the use of an accelerometer and a compass todetermine an orientation change in an embodiment of the disclosedtechnology. FIG. 4 shows an embodiment that employs the accelerometer inconjunction with a compass, in order to obtain two orientationdirectional vectors which can be used to fix the orientation of theperson object in three-dimensional space so that the device can be usedto explore the person as an object. The elements of FIG. 4 are generallyincremented by 100 compared to those of FIG. 3. Similar to FIGS. 2B and2C, FIGS. 4A and 4C show the display device 400 and an image of a person410 rotating around the same axis at angle 440, orthogonal to theaccelerometer's gravitational orientation directional vector 430. Butunlike in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the person image in FIGS. 4A and 4C is notaligned to the top of the display device, but rather aligned to thecompass's orientation directional vector 480. Thus, upon rotation of thedevice around the vertical z-axis in the external environment 420, theimage object appears to remain stationary in three-dimensional space.Note that although the position of the person object is stationary, theview direction of the person object, or the image of the person, stillchanges with the orientation of the device in the external environment.FIG. 4B shows a third intermediate position between FIGS. 4A and 4C asthe display device rotates counterclockwise around the z-axis, with theperson object aligned to the magnetic orientation directional vector480. Rotations 450 around the axis at angle 440 orthogonal to theaccelerometer orientation directional vector 430 still use theaccelerometer-measured displacements to allow the viewer to observe theperson image from the sides as described in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2B and 2D.FIGS. 4D, 4E, and 4F show the same rotational concept as in FIG. 2E,wherein a rotation 470 of the device along a second independentorthogonal axis 460 would allow the viewer to look above and below theperson object. Again, the information obtained from the compass keepsthe person (or other) image aligned to the magnetic orientationdirectional vector 480. The display device could be rotated around anyorthogonal axis such as 440 or 460 to obtain different directional views(images) of the person object. Note that when the display device movesto a vertical position, where the vertical axis of the display device isaligned to the z-axis of the external environment, there is nomeasurable accelerometer data and the system defaults to a purelycompass orientation directional vector-based system as described in FIG.3.

FIG. 5 shows an example of changing the position of a human figure inembodiments of the disclosed technology. FIGS. 5A through 5C show asequence of orientations and displays on a display device 500. Thefigure may change position over time, irrespective of the orientation ofthe device, or may change position as a result of a change inorientation of the display device. A combination of these cases may alsobe employed where the person image changes over time in a specificdevice orientation, and the display orientation of the human figure alsochanges as a result of a change in orientation of the display device.Each of these cases will be described in more detail below.

Referring now to the first case described above, that is, a changinghuman figure over time, irrespective of the orientation of the device,this may be a series of sequential images or a video. In the exampleshown, the human figure's arm is in a down position 570 at a first time,shown in FIG. 5A, being raised 572 at a second time, in FIG. 5B, andpointing upwards 574 at a third time, shown in FIG. 5C. As can be seenin FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C, the orientation of the device changes from afirst orientation in FIG. 5A to a second orientation in FIG. 5B, andback to the first orientation in FIG. 5C. However, the human figures 510and 514, while in the same orientation (because the display devices arein the same orientation) are in different positions because a certainamount of time has elapsed, and over that period of time, the humanfigure 510/512/514 has moved. This may be used for example with showinga football or other sports move. Here, the human figure is throwing afootball and, to learn proper technique while watching thevideo/succession of images, a viewer can change the orientation of thedevice to see different angles of the human figure to learn how toemulate the move. Likewise, it may be a dance move, part of apornographic video, or an advertisement such as for the sale ofclothing.

In the second case described above, the change in position of the humanfigure may be as a result of a change in orientation of the displaydevice. In FIG. 5A, in a first orientation and a first image beingdisplayed on the display device, the arm is down 570. Whenrotating/tilting the display device, as shown in FIG. 5B, a secondorientation and a second position of the human figure are shown (here,with a raised arm 572). When returning to the first orientation, in FIG.5C, the arm is now raised. In this manner, any feature of the humanfigure may be changed, such as a smile to a frown, an arm up to an armdown, indicia on clothing, and the like. Each time a person cyclesthrough from the orientation in FIG. 5A to FIG. 5B and back to the firstorientation in FIG. 5C, the human figure may be toggled. That is, forexample, the change from the orientation in 5A to 5B and back to theoriginal orientation and human figure 514 is shown. Do it again, and thehuman figure 510 is shown.

In a combination of the two cases described above, the video or imagescould be continuously changing as time progresses, but the set of videoimages shown at every particular orientation of the device would berelative to each particular orientation. For example, in FIG. 5A, thefirst orientation, the person 510 might be speaking for one minute. Ifleft in that orientation, the speaker would conduct his speech with hisarm down 570 for the entirety of the speech. However, if during that oneminute, the user instead changes the device to a second orientation asshown in FIG. 2B, he may raise his hand 572 during the course of the oneminute speech. Upon returning back to the first orientation, shown inFIG. 5C, his hand 574 is now raised until the one minute speech iscomplete. In this way, the movement to the second position shown in FIG.5B actually altered the progression of the video. Alternatively, uponreturning back to the first orientation from the second orientation ofFIG. 5B the speaker could have instead resumed his original handposition 570 of FIG. 5A, instead of maintaining the change of handposition 572, 574 shown in FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a display device tilted upwards and downwardswith respect to the viewer in an embodiment of the disclosed technology.The display device 600 is turned 90 degrees clockwise with respect tothat of the display device shown in FIG. 2, but the tilt is analogous tothe directional change indicated by arrow 270 in FIG. 2E.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the changing orientation of a display withtwo human figures in an embodiment of the disclosed technology. On adisplay 700, both human figures 710 and 720 are exhibited. As theorientation changes (left/right as cycled through the FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C,7D, and 7E), the human figures 710 and 720 are rotated, that is, theperspective from which they are viewed is rotated from the point of viewof the viewer. Here, they are rotated about a center of gravity 715which is a combined center of gravity of the figures shown, e.g.,roughly at the point of contact of their hands. Any of the techniquesand embodiments shown and described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6may be employed with the two or more human figures 710 and 720 shown inFIG. 7.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the changing orientation of a display deviceas well the changing position of the human figures exhibited on thedisplay device in embodiments of the disclosed technology. That which isshown in FIGS. 8A through 8D is analogous to a combination of what hasbeen shown and described with respect to FIG. 5 (change in position ofhuman figure) and 7 (using multiple human figures). In this manner,whether based on time or orientation change or both, the orientation ofthe human figures 810 and 820 and position of the human figures ondevice 800 are changed. It should be understood that any element of thedisplayed human figures may change, including their position, positionof one figure relative to the other, color of clothing or indicia,addition or removal of a logo, change in facial expression, addition ofprops (e.g., a football), and the like.

FIG. 9 shows steps taken in a method of carrying out embodiments of thedisclosed technology. In step 910, a sequence of images of a humanfigure is stored in various orientations. This is at a first moment orinstant in time. Thus, for example, in an application where the imagewill change based on a clockwise-counterclockwise rotation (see, forexample, FIG. 5), images may be stored around the left and right side ofthe person. In optional step 920, images are stored over a period oftime. These images may be from one or multiple orientations, the humanfigure may be moving or changing in some manner (e.g., clothes changingcolor or styles to show different clothing options for sale), and may bea video. It is known, for example, in movies to have moveable ormultiple cameras around a person conducting an action, so that thecamera view can appear to swoop around the person at a moment in time orduring a scene, but embodiments of the present technology allow theviewer to actually change the viewing angle at the time of viewing.Thus, the experience becomes interactive with natural movement orchanges of orientation of the viewer and/or handheld device.

In step 930, which can be carried out before, after, or both before andafter step 960, orientation data is received in a continuous manner froman orientation sensor, such as an accelerometer or a compass or anotherinstrument for measuring orientation of, or relative to, a pre-existingmagnetic field. From this data, in step 950, it is determined how thedisplay device of embodiments of the disclosed technology is moving orbeing reoriented, whether tilting up/down, tilting left/right, beingrotated left/right, or being reoriented towards a different cardinaldirection. To supplement this, in embodiments of the disclosedtechnology, in step 940, orientation data is further received from asecondary orientation sensor, which could also be an accelerometer orcompass. Then, in step 960, an image of a human figure is exhibitedwhich is either a pre-defined first image or an image based on theorientation or position of the display device. Steps 930 and 940continue to be carried out, and in step 970, upon receiving furthermovement data from the accelerometer (such as movement past a predefinedthreshold) or new orientation data from a compass, the image is changed.The image may additionally change over time, such as with a video orsequence, in step 980. A change in time and a change in orientationwould produce a combined change, in embodiments of the disclosedtechnology. Thus, over time, the human figure moves irrespective of achange in viewpoint (orientation) of the exhibited human figure. Achange in viewpoint may also occur, as determined by received motiondata providing movement data with regard to the display device.

FIG. 10 shows a high level block diagram of a specialized image inputand display device on which embodiments of the disclosed technology maybe carried out. The device may comprise some or all of the high levelelements shown in FIG. 10 and may comprise further devices or be part ofa larger device. Data bus 1070 transports data between the numberedelements shown in device 1000. Central processing unit 1040 receives andprocesses instructions such as code. Volatile memory 1010 andnon-volatile memory 1020 store data for processing by the centralprocessing unit 1040.

The data storage apparatus 1030 may be magnetic media (e.g., hard disk,video cassette), optical media (e.g., Blu-Ray or DVD) or another type ofstorage mechanism known in the art. The data storage apparatus 1030 orthe non-volatile memory 1020 stores data which is sent via bus 1070 tothe video output 1060.

A datum received from an accelerometer or compass 1090 is processed bythe central processing unit 1040 to determine if a change in viewpointor orientation has been made. The displayed image, as described above,is outputted via a video output 1060, that is, a transmitter or videorelay device which transmits video to a television screen, monitor, orother display device 1080 via cable or data bus 1065. The video output1060 may also be an output over a packet-switched network 1065 such asthe internet, where it is received and interpreted as video data by arecipient display 1080. The recipient display may be a liquid crystaldisplay, cathode ray tube, or series of light-emitting diodes, or anyother known display system.

An input/output device 1050, such as buttons on the device itself, aninfrared signal receiver for use with a remote control, or a networkinput/output for control via a local or wide area network, receivesand/or sends a signal via data pathway 1055 (e.g., infrared signal,signal over copper or fiber cable, wireless network, etc. Theinput/output device, in embodiments of the disclosed technology,receives input from a user, such as which image to display and how tointeract with a detected object.

FIG. 11 shows a high-level block diagram of a computer that may be usedto carry out the disclosed technology. Computer 1100 contains aprocessor 1150 that controls the overall operation of the computer byexecuting computer program instructions which define such operation. Thecomputer program instructions may be stored in a storage device 1120(e.g., magnetic disk, database) and loaded into memory 1130 whenexecution of the computer program instructions is desired. Thus, thecomputer operation will be defined by computer program instructionsstored in memory 1130 and/or storage 1120, and the computer will becontrolled by processor 1150 executing the computer programinstructions. Computer 1100 also includes one, or a plurality of, inputnetwork interfaces for communicating with other devices via a network(e.g., the internet). Computer 1100 also includes one or more outputnetwork interfaces 1110 for communicating with other devices. Computer1100 also includes input/output 1140, representing devices which allowfor user interaction with the computer 1100 (e.g., display, keyboard,mouse, speakers, buttons, touch-sensitive screen, etc.).

While the disclosed technology has been taught with specific referenceto the above embodiments, a person having ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departingfrom the spirit and the scope of the disclosed technology. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. All changes that come within the meaning and rangeof equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.Combinations of any of the methods, systems, and devices describedhereinabove are also contemplated and within the scope of the disclosedtechnology.

I claim:
 1. A display device comprising: an accelerometer measuringrotation of said display device; a storage device comprising image datato be exhibited on said display device, said image data beingrepresentative of a human figure; a display exhibiting said image datarepresentative of said human figure, wherein said image datarepresentative of said human figure rotates independently to an axisorthogonal to a gravitational orientation directional vector generatingangle displacements of said device.
 2. The display device of claim 1,wherein said change in said image data representative of said humanfigure exhibited on a said display comprises a change of viewpoint ofsaid human figure exhibited on said display around a predefined centerof gravity of said human figure, said predefined center of gravitycorresponding to an axis of rotation of said display device.
 3. Thedisplay device of claim 2, wherein said image data representative of ahuman figure is image data representative of a plurality of humanfigures and said predefined center of gravity is a center of gravity ofsaid plurality of human figures.
 4. The display device of claim 2,wherein said display exhibits image data representative of a movinghuman figure, said human figure moving irrespective of, and in additionto, a change in viewpoint of said exhibited image data of said humanfigure.
 5. The display device of claim 2, wherein said change inviewpoint is non-linearly mapped to an amount of movement of saiddisplay device.
 6. The display device of claim 2, wherein said rotatingof said display device and said rotating of said image datarepresentative of said human are both either to the left or to the rightor where one rotates to left and one rotates to the right.
 7. Thedisplay device of claim 1, wherein: upon a first rotation of saiddisplay device to a first relative position, said display exhibits firstimage data of said human figure; upon a second rotation of said displaydevice in a second relative direction to a second relative position,said display exhibits second image data of said human figure which isdifferent than said first image data and corresponding to a change inview of said human figure in said second relative direction; and upon athird rotation of said display device back to said first relativeposition, said display exhibits third image data of said human figurewhich is different than said first and said second image data.
 8. Thedisplay device of claim 7, wherein upon a further rotation of saiddisplay device to said second relative position, and back to said firstrelative position, said display again exhibits said first image data ofsaid human figure.
 9. The display device of claim 1, wherein said imagedata is representative of a human figure wearing clothes and comprisespart of an offer for sale of said clothes.
 10. The display device ofclaim 1, wherein said image data of said human figure is used to teach auser of said display device positioning during an exercise with definedpositions, wherein first exhibited image data is representative of afirst angle of a said defined position and second exhibited image datais representative of a second angle of a said defined position.
 11. Thedisplay device of claim 10, wherein said exercise is selected from thegroup consisting of yoga, martial arts, sports, and pornography.
 12. Thedisplay device of claim 1, wherein said display device further comprisesa compass and said exhibited image data of said human figure is furtherchanged based on a change of rotation of said display device as measuredby said compass.
 13. A method of displaying a series of images on ahandheld device comprising: storing a plurality of images representativeof a human figure to be exhibited on a display of said handheld device;measuring direction of rotation of said handheld device with anaccelerometer; measuring orientation of said handheld device based on amagnetic field; exhibiting on said display of said handheld device afirst image representative of said human figure, said first imageselected from said plurality of images; and changing said imageexhibited on said display to at least a second image representative ofsaid human figure corresponding to a direction of rotation of saidhandheld device, as detected by said accelerometer, said second imageselected from said plurality of images; wherein said image datarepresentative of said human figure rotates independently to an axisorthogonal to a gravitational orientation directional vector generatingangle displacements of said device.
 14. The method of claim 13, whereinsaid changing said image comprises changing said image exhibited on saiddisplay to a said second image which is representative of a change ofviewpoint of said exhibited human figure around a predefined center ofgravity of said human figure.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein atleast one of said plurality of images representative of said humanfigure is an image representative of a plurality of human figures, andsaid predefined center of gravity is a center of gravity of saidplurality of human figures.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein saidexhibiting comprises exhibiting on said display image datarepresentative of a moving human figure, said human figure moving inaddition to, and irrespective of, said change in viewpoint of said humanfigure represented in said second image.
 17. The method of claim 13,wherein said change in viewpoint is non-linearly mapped to an amount ofmovement of said handheld device.
 18. The method of claim 13, whereinsaid change in viewpoint is linearly mapped to an amount of movement ofsaid handheld device.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein saidexhibiting comprises: upon a first rotation of said handheld device to afirst relative position, exhibiting on said display a first image ofsaid human figure; upon a second rotation of said handheld device to asecond relative position, exhibiting on said display a second image ofsaid human figure which is different than said first image; and upon athird rotation of said handheld device back to said first relativeposition, exhibiting on said display a third image of said human figurewhich is different than said first and said second images.
 20. Themethod of claim 19, wherein said exhibiting also comprises, upon afurther rotation of said handheld device to said second relative rotatedposition, and back to said first relative position, again exhibiting onsaid display said first image of said human figure.
 21. The method ofclaim 13, wherein said exhibiting said image comprises exhibiting animage of said human figure wearing clothes and said image comprises partof an offer for sale of said clothes.
 22. The method of claim 13,wherein said exhibiting comprises exhibiting said image of said humanfigure to teach a user of said handheld device positioning during anexercise with defined positions, wherein a first exhibited image isrepresentative of a first angle of a said defined position and a secondexhibited image is representative of a second angle of a said definedposition.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein said exercise is selectedfrom the group consisting of yoga, martial arts, sports, andpornography.
 24. The method of claim 13, wherein said exhibiting of saidimage of said human figure is initially based on an initial orientationof said handheld device.
 25. The method of claim 13, wherein saidexhibiting comprises further changing said image based on a change in adirection of said handheld device measured by a compass, said compassdetecting said magnetic field.
 26. A method of displaying a series ofimages of a human figure on a handheld device, the method comprising:storing a plurality of images representative of a human figure to beexhibited on a display of said handheld device; measuring direction ofrotational movement of said handheld device with a compass; exhibitingon said display of said handheld device a first image representative ofsaid human figure, said first image selected from said plurality ofimages; and changing said image exhibited on said display to at least asecond image representative of said human figure corresponding to adirection of rotational movement of said handheld device, as detected bysaid compass, said second image selected from said plurality of images;wherein said image data representative of said human figure rotatesindependently to an axis orthogonal to a gravitational orientationdirectional vector generating angle displacements of said device.